This invention relates to an improvement in a drain trough system generally associated with the eaves of a roof of a building, and is more particularly concerned with a device which facilitates the mounting and maintenance of drain troughs.
Most residential-type houses or dwellings are constructed with pitched roofs, the sloped nature of which prevents the accumulation of water thereon. Beneath the lower extremity of a pitched roof, generally referred to as the eaves, there is positioned a drain trough or gutter, the purpose of which is to catch water which runs off the roof, and channel it to a downspout which leads the water away from the foundation of the house.
In the course of time, such drain troughs tend to accumulate debris such as fallen leaves, which obstructs the trough, thereby rendering it ineffective for its intended purpose. Also, in the course of time, the trough, usually of metal construction, may require maintenance such as scraping and/or painting. The servicing of such troughs for the purposes of cleaning or painting generally requires the use of a ladder, which makes the task difficult and often perilous.
Although a number of methods have been previously disclosed for simplifying the servicing of eaves-mounted drain troughs, none have been completely successful in operation or sufficiently practical to enjoy widespread commercial utilization. Mechanically modified drain troughs have been proposed, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 538,108, issued Apr. 23, 1895, which enable the trough to be manually tilted or inverted so that its contents will dump out. However, the specific features of such systems generally require use of costly non-standard, specifically constructed drain troughs. Also, their installation onto the eaves of a house may be so difficult as to render them impractical. This is particularly the case with modern houses wherein the roof overhangs by not more than about two inches the upper peripheral wooden trim panels of the underlying walls, said panels being generally referred to as the fascia.
The use of hinged brakcets to mount a standard drain trough to the fascia in a manner permitting inversion of said trough to discharge its contents has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,074.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved hinged bracket for use in mounting a conventional drain trough to the fascia of a building.
It is another object of this invention to provide a bracket of the aforesaid nature adapted to permit said trough to be inverted so as to discharge its contents.
It is a further object to provide a bracket of the aforesaid nature which, in comparison with prior devices, is of more sturdy construction, and less costly to fabricate.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.